I really enjoyed this book! I liked that it was deeper than your average love story and while the characters made some decisions that enraged me at times, there were so many redeeming moments for each of them.

I know I'm not the only one who felt like this was a 5-star read until the last 20%. And I'm not usually someone who says that!

For the first 80% of the book, this book is the sort of cozy, life-affirming book that just makes you happy to be reading. As I read, I found myself thinking, "Wow, this is what romances are all about." The banter and charm were there (if I'm gonna read a romance, I need at least a LITTLE banter), but we also got a fairly solid grounding in real-life issues and tougher subjects. Amazing balance. Total contender for a new comfort book.

And then...well, let's just say it goes downhill. It felt as if someone didn't trust that the book was strong enough as is and had to throw in a little extra drama, and to me, that totally recolored the rest of the book.

I would rarely recommend reading most of a book and then stopping before the end, but I think that might be my recommendation for this one. Take the good, ignore the bad. This is a light romance. You're allowed.

(Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free advance copy of this book! All opinions are, of course, my own.)

Passion Project is a heartfelt debut that balances slow-burn romance that deals with healing from grief. Read this is you love romances with emotional depth, love a vivid NYC backdrop, and for realistic characters!

Thanks to #NetGalley and the publisher for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 rounded up to 5.

Starting off with this read - I wasn't blown away. A woman crippled under the heavy weight of grief? Usually my type of read, but man, I just couldn't get past the whining of the FMC. She was just so lost, and it was a really heavy read.

Then she met Henry, and well - there became a spark. And then the journey to find her "passion" - all of the fun dates, the exploring NYC together and basically being a tourist in their own city. It was beautiful, it was raw, it was intense... The emotions were all heartfelt and real, if you've ever known grief, then you know how it is to come back and try to claw yourself out of the hole following losing someone you love. The shell that exists for the longest time, and the agony of that "what if's".

The ending was a whirlwind and left me gasping for air as I clutched my stomach and cried. It felt so real, the emotions all were easy to feel and it was just good. Really good.

I'm also incredibly blown away about the fact that this is a debut!? Such powerful and amazing writing.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Books for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

This book left me in multiple states when thinking of the MFC
1 - sympathy/empathy for her
2 - cheering her on as she slowly re-emerges into the world
3 - mortified at her actions, ultimately leaving her unredeemable.

Also, the golden retriever/cinnamon roll guy seemed great in theory, but ultimately came across as a push over.

Highlight of the book was her wonderful co-worker from the libraryh

It was ok. I wasn't really invested in the characters and the story. I had to put this book down a few times. I really did want to like it more.

I was only 25% in when my friend rang my phone for something related to the up coming exams, but it started rambling on about this book. Told her about the first encounter scene, and she went "that's a moment, I wished for you to have one day" and we just laughed at that. We must have agreed to that because this a sad girl romance at it's core and well.... everyone collectively agrees on me being a sad girl(I am not grieving about anything but well...)

Passion Project is a quietly powerful, emotionally tender debut that explores grief, healing, and the sometimes-messy path toward rediscovering joy. London Sperry crafts a story that feels raw and real, following Bennet Taylor, twenty-something temp worker still aching from the sudden loss of her first love, as she stumbles into a second chance at life through an unexpected connection.

When Bennet reconnects with Henry Adams, a man she once ghosted, he proposes a bold idea: spend each Saturday trying something new—her very own “passion project.” From trying their hand at tattoo art to rappelling off buildings, these shared adventures slowly crack open the grief that’s calcified around Bennet’s heart. What begins as a lighthearted arrangement turns into something much more profound as she starts feeling again—both the weight of her past and the tentative spark of something new with Henry.

London balances moments of humor with aching honesty, offering a love story that’s more about emotional restoration than romantic fantasy. The slow burn between Bennet and Henry is grounded, patient, and refreshingly mature, making their connection all the more rewarding.

Passion Project is for anyone who’s ever felt stuck in sorrow and longed for a way out. It's tender, honest, and brimming with hope—reminding us that healing isn’t linear, and love often arrives when we least expect it.

The first time I picked up PASSION PROJECT, ahead of its publication, I put it back down. I just wasn’t clicking with it but felt that it might have been my mood, so I knew I’d try again later. The second time was the charm! I could still see what didn’t quite work for me the first time, but I was hooked enough to read until the end.

PASSION PROJECT reminded me a lot of another 2025 release, PROMISE ME SUNSHINE by Cara Bastone. Both books deal with heroines who are deeply grieving the loss of someone they loved and are going through the motions in their everyday lives. They both feature characters who have a ton of growth by the end of the book and find love in the process. My biggest problem with this book was that I kept mentally comparing it to the other book (which I read first) — and I preferred that one! It was an unfair comparison because they are two different stories, but I kept thinking about what I liked better about the other one while I was reading.

But here’s what I loved about this one: the NYC setting, the sensitivity about the heroine’s grief, the book’s premise of finding your passion for life, and the hero. He was absolutely wonderful! My least favorite part was the third-act conflict and how it all played out. It created a frustrating ending that made me dislike the heroine. I knew rationally that her actions tied into her grief, but it was a sour note to end the book on despite the fact it was ultimately resolved. Overall, however, I’d still recommend PASSION PROJECT to readers who are drawn to this type of story.

Five stars for an OUTSTANDING debut novel from London Sperry! Passion Project is a beautiful story about grief, friendship, and love of all kinds that had me hooked from page one. I will be recommending it to everyone that I know!!!

After standing up Henry on their first date, Bennet unexpectedly runs into him and drunkenly shares that she doesn’t have a passion for anything. Being the sweet angel he is, Henry agrees to help her find her passion via a summer of new experiences and adventure.

London’s writing is so captivating and descriptive in the way that I love (showing, not telling). She handled grief in such a careful and knowledgeable way that made me feel every emotion. To sweet Bennet, I want to give you the biggest hug ever. To Henry, you kind, patient, loving human….. I adore you endlessly; please never change.

I laughed, I cried, and I will be (not so) patiently waiting for more of London’s writing!!!

*Thank you so much to NetGalley and Penguin Books for the eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!!*

Passion Project is a bittersweet, nostalgic story with plenty of humor. It centers around Bennet and Henry, who, after a somewhat embarrassing attempt at a first date in which Henry (you might say...unsuccessfully??) stands up Bennet, the two determine they should stay friends. They ultimately end up embarking on a different sort of journey and the story unfolds beautifully through the pages from there. I enjoyed this... It was a feel-good story, though quite sad as one of our characters is navigating grief.

Enjoyed. Excited to see what Sperry does next. 3.75/5.0

In Passion Project, we read the story of Bennet Taylor who lives in NYC with her friend. Bennet is struggling and grieving the death of her ex-boyfriend. After many attempts by her friend, Bennet is signed up to a dating app and is paired with Henry Adams; unfortunately, Bennet decides to not show up to their first date and decides to drink at a nearby bar. After an embarrassing moment at the bar, Bennet and Henry meet and it's determined that it's best that they remain as friends and embark on an adventure to find Bennet's passion in life.

The pace of the book was a bit slow for me and found Bennet to be very annoying at times; however, Henry was very well written and loved his personality. I wished we also got to read from his POV.

Thank you Penguin Group Viking for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I very much enjoyed this adventure! Bittersweet story about a girl Bennet, stuck in a grief cycle after the death of her first love. She moved to NY because it was his dream, but she is unable to move on from the loss. Her roommate creates a dating profile and matches her with Henry. Her anxiety leads her to stand him up and have a panic attack in the restaurant across the street from the meeting place. - where Henry actually works. Through a second (unintentional) meeting they agree to become friends.

Since he doesn't know many people in the city, and she hasn't explored the city because of her grief, they decide to meet every Saturday and do something different and get to know the city, and find out what her passion is now with her new normal. . The exploration of the city, and it's surprises is what Bennet and Henry refer to as their Passion Project - but does it become more than that?

The story was sweet and heartbreaking, Henry is the best human golden retriever, but with his own issues. Bennet and Henry work well together and encourage each other to do things that they would be too afraid to do on their own, expanding their view of the city, growing their friend/family group, and each other.

The banter is fun between the two of them, as well as the developing relationship,
Read this in one sitting as it was fun and easy to get into and stay for the journey.

Thank you NetGalley for the read!

Thank you Penguin Books & NetGalley for the Read Now copy of Passion Project! This was the perfect beach read while on vacation. I also have a list of things to do that I’ve never done before, similar to the passion projects in Henry & Bennett’s story. This was a cute, fun read that I highly recommend!

Thank you for the advanced copy of this book. My reviews can be read on my GoodReads account here: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1335387-kelly

couldn't get into this one. the premise immediately started out feeling unrealistic, the FMC unlikable. DNF @ 10%.

This was more of a 3.5 stars to me, but rounding up to 4 stars. I think this book did a good job of showing how grief can affect people, and seeing Bennet try to move through life was heartbreaking at times. I was rooting for her the whole time. I didn't fully understand some parts of her, but maybe that's the point. There were some parts of the book that took me out because they weren't accurate to New York City (like Trader Joe's selling wine), but I think if you don't live here it wouldn't bother you. Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Books for this ARC!

I absolutely loved Passion Project! London Sperry’s writing is funny, honest, and full of heart. It’s the kind of book that makes you laugh and swoon in the best way. A perfect mix of romance and self-discovery that left me smiling long after I finished. Can’t wait to see what she writes next!

After reading the synopsis, Ioved the premise for Passion Project. It had me hopeful for hilarious antics and thrilling adventures as Henry helped Bennet find her passion. It really is an emotional and sometimes heartbreaking fight through grief to find a way to continue to live life despite past heartaches. Passion Project is a beautiful story but it's heavy and sensitive look at grief and it was hard to read at times. I think I probably should have DNFed this story because it simply wasn't what I wanted to be reading, but something kept me turning the pages. I highly recommend checking for content warnings if you are a sensitive reader!

Passion Project is out now. Thank you Netgalley and Viking for my advanced digital copy.

Beautiful story about loss, working through grief, trying to let yourself find love and fall in love again. Watching Bentley go through the different stages of grief and learn and grow through it was written so perfectly! I highly recommend Passion Project!
Thank you for the for the opportunity to read this!

Can't say I expected a novel about healing from grief and depression to be a bingeable, heartwarming read but, wow, did Passion Project deliver! I loved it! I listened to the audiobook and it's so good that I found myself looking for more things to take care of and clean around my house because I didn't want to have to put the book down. Bennet and Henry have a great dynamic and I loved following along their adventures throughout New York City. I also can't tell you how excited I got every single time there was a Star Wars reference! This was on track to be a five star read for me, but I personally didn't enjoy the conflict surrounding the third act breakup or feel completely satisfied by its resolution.

Still, I highly recommend this story about finding love again.